New Mexico Layers

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Written By

Ari Seth Cohen

Photographer and author, Ari Seth Cohen, is the creator of Advanced Style, a project devoted “to capturing the sartorial savvy of the senior set.” He says, “I feature people who live full creative lives. They live life to the fullest, age gracefully and continue to grow and challenge themselves.”

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Madrid and Santa Fe have some of the most interesting exhibits of fashion. I often visit just to admire and watch all the different displays of fashion….it is a very creative culture and it shows style-wise…I always come away inspired.

Glad to see you featuring someone from New Mexico! I live in west Texas, so I'm not far from there.

Shirlzb

As an 84 year old survivor of the ageism battle, I don't focus on aging, as much as survival. For example, for the last 2 years I've battled several medical issues, and am now recuperating from 2 surgeries–and for the first time, I'm conscious of my age. I have never focused on that subject, because my mind was focused on other matters, family, home, books, art, keeping interested in the world, the world beyond my door.

Face creams, clothing, self-adulation are minor choices, for in the past whenever I've faced a medical problem, I've dressed every day as though I'm treating myself; it is art of my style, and for my own morale. I can no longer sew because I'e injured my hands, so, with a fine eye & delicate budget, I've moved on to purchases.

However, 60, which I do remember, but not fondly because I was recovering from a 30 year hellish marriage, is long past, and nowadays, losses, friends who have disappeared because of relocation, illness, blindness, death constrict my life, and family is far flung, busy and involved in other concerns.

The strangest part of iiving so long is feeling superfluous, almost invisible, and trivia prevails. Dog's leashes, pedestrians who concentrate on their Twitters and phones often treat me as invisible, falling is imminent, and fractures result.

And, when a young thing tells me I remind her of her grandmother, I twitch, for she is so wrong, because she doesn't know me at all.

Calling attention to one's appearance is not my goal; keeping my mind alert, my health sufficient to live independently, and remaining immersed in subject matter, such as books, art, daily news, magazines, music, people is my daily goal. Less egotism and more gray matter are boundless endeavors, in my view

Anonymous

Glad you're featuring the Southwest…

and

This "look" is the antithesis of the attractive and practical things we New Mexican and Coloradan women wear – which allow us to walk, to run and even change (if needed) a flat tire.

Um, excuse me Anonymous. I am a proud fashonista living in Albuquerque, NM. I LOVE the Madrid lady's look. And if you look closely, you can see her trousers peeking from beneath her layers. She can walk, run, and should she need to change a tire she can quickly shed her upper layer and do so. Viva New Mexico style!